Serpentine
by Yuki-Roentgen
Summary: Snape and Lily have been long time friends, but with her spending more time with the Marauder's leader, James, they're developing difficulties. Meanwhile, Remus begins protecting Severus, even agreeing to help train Sev after Sev somehow begins learning spells far past his year. Since their meeting in the library and the finding of that diary, things don't seem to be the same.
1. Envy

They weren't far from the main grounds, but they were well hidden with the notably larger than normal trees. He thought that they were hidden anyways, but that proved to be quite inaccurate. Yet again the pesky Marauders had found them. How surprising. Not likely. It was far more likely that they had placed a tracking spell upon one, or both, of them; for two incredibly different reasons: one for interest and one for causing chaos.

He peered up from beneath his silky, black mop, revealing onyx eyes that set themselves upon the one whom he had been accompanied by originally. The woman-although not of age, as she was of his own, but of maturity-was now with them. The Marauders. James Potter, Serious Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.

She was donned in the girls uniform and had the crimson red and gold cloak and stripped scarf of the same colors. The colors of a lion; the colors of a Gryffindor. She didn't only match in attire however, with her beautiful, long, fiery red-orange hair was the same as a mane. Furthermore, accompanied by her uncanny grace and fierce temper, she was indeed a lioness. Him? No. Quite the opposite really, nothing as noble or graceful as her, something manipulative and cold. He wore the boy's uniform with the cloak of emerald green and silver of a serpentine Slytherin. He had cold eyes and an emotionless face that was no facade, his face expressed his true lack of emotions, he had emotions, but they seemed to have been gradually draining away from him the more she spent time with James.

His eyes meeting her emerald green eyes, he quickly looked down to the books that had amounted around him and the now empty spot where she had sat. It wasn't hard to presume what they were talking about, and he knew shortly after that he was right in his presumption as voices rose.

"He doesn't care anyways, he doesn't talk half the time and this time won't matter either."

He clenched his fist. Why can't I stand up to him? He questioned. He knew he could. He had tried, and all, but once he had failed. Lily had now requested him to not try again, and to let him handle it, but they both knew, "handle" wasn't a word that would work with James. Lily, she always found the best in people, even him, even when he knew he didn't deserve it.

"James, we can go to the Three Broomsticks tomorrow, I'm studying with Sev today, all right?"

There was a delay in his answer, but reluctantly, he agreed, only in time for the snake to look up at him, who had grasped his hand and knelt to kiss it with a smile.

He didn't know what happened, but again, this might be the second of a million tries, that he might actually win.

Grabbing his wand from his pocket, he shuffled upward against the tree, padding onto several books, his gentle voice yelled out against the serene sounds of the water and crunch of dead leaves.

"Ventus!"

James was shoved backwards by the gust of summoned wind, wrenching his hand from Lily's. Lily clearly flustered, it took her a minute to realize what he had done, and turned to him, "Serverus!" She screamed out, her face still cherry red from the farewell from James.

Serverus' lips parted as his onyx eyes starred as blankly as his future patronus' eyes would be. Lily-I-. He was trying to protect her. That was impolite of him. He used even a spell that would guarentee that he wouldn't hurt her. That was-.

"Flipendo!" James exclaimed with a cheerful undertone as the smaller boy was sent flying backwards, his arm scraping against the tree bark and the books making him trip even more than the spell had, making him land with a thud on his back.

"Gah-" the snake groaned, wincing.

Footsteps. "Stop this James, this is stupid, leave him alone!" He looked up to see Lily standing before James. Of course she would stand before him rather than himself, she was protecting him now...or, it was because, he started it.

"Lily?"


	2. Friend of His

Gritting his teeth, Severus pushed himself up, legs shaking. His cold eyes meeting James' gaze.

"Come on Snivillus, no way that's all you've got?" James jeered, Sirius beside him now.  
Lily was now caught in the crossfire.  
Silence ensued as they stared each other down, James with a goofy, yet pleased smirk and Snape with a gaze that could scare off even a dementor. Silence.  
"_Please let me handle it from now on, all right Sev?"_ The thought of their earlier conversation rising to his consciousness. Either way, he knew he couldn't win.  
Sev turned away now, shuffling over to the books and kneeling down to gather them. Lily now beside him; he didn't dare to look up at her: the blush and red from the embarrassment of failure to obvious on his pallor skin.  
"Come on Sev...we'll study inside, okay?"  
The cackling laughter of the Marauders still loud, even as they walked away. He remained silent.  
"Sev! You're bleeding!" Lily exclaimed suddenly.  
Now, this, was news to him, as he looked where Lily's petite hands were now cradled upon his arm where, indeed where he had hit the tree, had scraped off several layers of skin. "Oh," he wasn't quite sure what else to say, most of the time, he hid the injuries, especially from her, his Lily. After a moment of Lily searching for her wand, he began stacking the books and by the time his beloved found her wand, he was standing with the stack precariously balanced against his chest. "I'm fine, really," he told her, "I'm going to go see Madam Pomfry." Of course this was a lie and even Lily was no idiot.  
"Fine, fine, let me walk you then," she said in a challenging, but friendly tone.  
"No," he replied shortly, "Go have-"  
"No! Because we both know you're lying!" She exclaimed, leaving both silent, Sev awestruck by the outburst.  
Eventually, they did go their separate ways and Sev was off to return the books to the library. He knew the place as well as the teachers did and had already read through half of the Defense Against the Dark Arts books and a third of the books on transfiguration-something Lily seemed obsessed with now a days, despite not being of age to formally learn. He knew she'd learn anyways: she was smart; learned quickly; studied hard, at least when she was interested in the subject; and was kind; beautiful; and friend-he stopped in his tracks, shaking his head in a feeble attempt at stopping himself. He continued forward continuing the mission of putting all ten books away and sneak away before the Marauders found him again-not as if they hadn't embarrassed him enough today. They always pestered him, but it was only when Lily was there when he was particularly embarrassed. The good news was, he was the only Slytherin, so the Marauders couldn't attack him as often as he presumed them to have liked.  
He sighed, putting away the fifth book already, not that that one was easy by any stretch of the imagination since it was Lily who had grabbed it in the first place, since she was now "slightly" taller than himself.  
"Hey."  
He ignored the voice, droning it out with the rest of the noise, "Sixth," he murmured, slipping the Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook into its spot. The voice repeated itself, but still, he disregarded it.  
"Snivillus!"  
Literally leaping into the air, the small stack of books he carried toppled out of his hands. "What!?" he snapped, only now looking away from the books to see who his taunter was. Remus.  
Remus stooped over the books and shuffled them into a small stack-Snape in further shock-"Here you are," he said calmly. Sev delayed, but then swiped them into his arms and straightened them into a better organized stack.  
_What was that for? _Was what was stuck in his throat, but Remus spoke first with a chuckle.  
"I knew you were jumpy, but not to that extent," he stated before his nose twitched, "Anyways, how's that arm?" He inquired, pointing to the still bleeding skin, making his face contort. "I also wasn't informed that you were a masochist.  
"Wh-" he sighed, forcing himself to regain his composure before glaring at the Marauder. "What is it you want from me Mooney?" If he was being honest, this was perhaps the only the second or third time he had actually spoken to the boy.  
Afterall, no friend of Potter's was a friend of his.  
With a flick of his wand, "Episkey," and his arm healed, "Now, how hard was that?"  
Snape remained quiet, glimpsing at his arm. "Is that all you wanted?"  
Remus crossed his arms and sighed, shaking his head, "I don't blame you for not trusting me, it's certainly reasonable, but it's only proper to say thank you."  
At this point, Snape seriously had no clue what to make of him. "...Thank you."


End file.
